


Another Universe

by Starofwinter



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 22:46:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17476379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starofwinter/pseuds/Starofwinter
Summary: In one universe, Frank Castle watches his family die.In one universe, his best friend in all the world watches it happen.This isn’t that universe.





	Another Universe

**Author's Note:**

> Canon? I don't know her.

In one universe, Frank Castle watches his family die.

In one universe, his best friend in all the world watches it happen.

This isn’t that universe.

In this universe, Billy Russo comes home from hell when Frank does.  He comes home to Maria giving him the same warm smile she gives Frank, and he’s  _ Dad _ to Frank’s  _ Daddy  _ for them.  Frank and Maria get married, but Billy is her second dance.  He’s Frank’s too, when they get to the hotel room, cheerfully drunk on too much champagne and Billy is all teasing grins and “what, can’t a guy dance with his boyfriend at his own wedding?”

That isn’t to say it’s sunshine and rainbows and everything is perfect.  Both of them have seen too much to sleep through the night still, but when one of them wakes up, there’s always someone up with them.  Maria doesn’t understand them the way they do each other, but that’s what makes her so utterly perfect. She doesn’t  _ need _ to understand to wake up and sit in silence with them.  She knew when she married them that things wouldn’t be easy - they’d both told her, separately, that they weren’t easy to love.  She’d told them both that she doesn’t  _ expect _ it to be easy, and she knows she won’t be able to be everything to either of them, but they can work together as a  _ family _ .

The idea of  _ family _ spooks Billy sometimes.  He’ll disappear for days at a time - Curtis never minds him sleeping on the couch, and he doesn’t ask questions - but he always comes back.  He says it’s because he got tired of Curt’s cooking, but Maria’s smile and the way Frank knocks their shoulders together says they know, and it’s okay.  Neither of them expect more from him than he’s comfortable giving them, and the kids are always ecstatic to see him again, no matter what.

Frank and Billy fight still.  Not as much as they used to, and the reasons have changed, but they’re too stubborn and they have too many edges to catch each other on  _ not _ to butt heads.  The worst one, the ones that happen the most, are over the kids.  Frank insists they need to be protected, and kept away from violence -  _ we saw enough of that, I’m not letting my kids get caught up in the same shit we did  _ \- but Billy knows too well the kinds of dangers that always hang around, with words like  _ pretty _ and touches that linger too long to be innocent.  He wants to teach them to protect themselves, just in case- 

_ Just in case what, Billy? _ Frank asks, and all the tightness goes out of his shoulders and voice and eyes, replaced by understanding and the protective, angry kind of grief he does best, that someone - that  _ he _ wasn’t there to protect Billy then.  Billy hates and loves him for it.

_ Just in case nobody’s there to keep them safe. _

Frank wraps him up in a hug and squeezes the back of his neck, holding Billy against his chest tight enough for Billy to feel grounded again.   _ We’ll always keep ‘em safe, huh?  We’ll always be here. _

_ Yeah, Frank.  Yeah, we will. _

And in this universe?  He’s telling the truth.


End file.
